


The Bakery Down The Road

by dumbbabybitch



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: (lots of it), Completed, Cuddles, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, car crashes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:06:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 8,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24313246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dumbbabybitch/pseuds/dumbbabybitch
Summary: "Welcome to Rosebomb Bakery! Can I get a name for the order?""Uh- Ross.""Nice to meet you, Uh- Ross."*COMPLETED*
Relationships: Ross O'Donovan/Reader, Ross O'Donovan/You, Suzy Berhow/Arin Hanson
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so for this fic, I would highly recommend using the extension InteractiveFics. It replaces all the Y/Ns with your actual name, so it makes stories more immersive. Ok, that's all I've got.

"Welcome to Rosebomb Bakery! I'll be with you in a second!" You yell from your place in the back, upon hearing the bell chime. You finish wiping down the counter and head to the register. "Hi! What can I get for you?" you say to the man with brown hair and blue eyes waiting for you. He's wearing a pair of loose jeans, and a t-shirt with cartoon heads?

"I don't really know what to order..." He says, clearly overwhelmed by the menu. You had to admit, the bakery had a LOT of options.

"Well, I'd recommend the hazelnut brownie, or the ham and chives scone if you're here for breakfast." You reply.

"Uh, I guess I'll take a ham and chives scone, then."

"Awesome, and do you want a drink with that?"

"Just a black coffee."

"Name for the order?" You say, punching in the request.

"Uh- Ross."

"Nice to meet you, Uh- Ross." You laugh out. He chuckles in response, while moving towards the other end of the counter. You just watched him for a second. He was on his phone, texting probably, but he was cute. He probably has a girlfriend, you tell yourself, shaking your head and getting ready for the next order. The bakery you worked at was set on one of the busier streets in LA, and at this time, a bunch of people came in for breakfast. You managed to avoid a Karen by ducking into the kitchen to make Ross's black coffee. 

Your co-worker, Joseph, handed you the scone to go with the coffee, and you stepped out to hand it off. "Scone and Black Coffee for Uh- Ross!"

"You're not gonna let that go, are you?" Ross says, stepping forward.

"Don't plan on it." You say, handing him his order. "Come back soon!" You yell as he pushes the door open. You barely hear him reply, "I will."

As soon as he leaves, you go back into work mode, putting on your sweetest voice to deal with annoying customers. Before you know it, rush hour is over, and it's Joseph's turn to man the counter. "Shoo, I've got this." He nudges you out of the way. 

You make your way to the kitchen, and pull out a batch of bread dough to start making loaves. As you knead the dough, your mind wanders. To Ross. He was cute alright, but there was probably no way you'd see him again. Most costumers were one time, not sticking around. The few usuals were the owner's friends and had been here since the shop started. So no use thinking about him, you think.

Sooner than you realize, the day is over, and you hang your apron on the hook with your name on it. Joseph leans against the wall next to you. "Yo, Y/N, me and some friends are going to the bar, wanna come with?" 

"No thanks, I'm a little tired. Maybe next time though." You respond, giving an apologetic smile. He shrugs. "Alright. Next time."

He walks you to your car, and waves goodbye as you pull out of the driveway. Joseph and you had worked together for many years, and he was one of your best friends. A lot of people assumed you guys were together, but Joseph was actually gay, so you didn't need to worry about him hitting on you. 

The moment you got home, you took off your shoes and flung them across the room, before stripping and hopping in the shower. Even as you wash the shampoo out of your hair, you couldn't help but think about that guy - Ross. His laugh was cute, you decided as you replayed it in your head. "God damnit." You sigh. You couldn't get him out of your head. Whatever. It'll pass.

With that, you lie down to sleep early, Ross's laughter drifting in your head.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, you're back at the register, when you hear voices outside the door. "I'm telling you dude, this place is so good!" "Okay, okay, chill."

With that, the bell rings and you automatically say "Welcome to Rosebomb Bakery, what can I get for you guys?" Immediately you recognize Ross, how could you not? So, he came back after all. "Well, if it isn't the infamous Uh- Ross." You say before he can say anything. "Good to see you again."

"You too." He smiles sweetly, the remembers something. "Oh, yeah, this is my friend Dan. I'm converting him." Dan smiles and offers a half wave. 

"Nice to meet you, Dan. What can I get for you guys today?" In your head, you thank any gods listening for the fact that it's a Saturday and not rush hour. "Since it's Saturday, I can also get you guys custom orders, if you're willing to wait."

"I'll take a ham and chives scone with a black coffee." Ross says.

"Sure thing. And for you?" You turn to Dan.

"I guess I'll just take a hazelnut brownie, and a green tea." He says a bit shyly.

"Great. I'll get that started for you guys." You head into the back, since Joseph isn't working today. As you pull Ross's scone and Dan's brownie, you hear them chatting.

"So, you thing she's cute?" Dan asks.

"Yeah, man. Have you seen her smile?" Ross replies. Dan laughs. You figure they're talking about someone else, since Ross was showing Dan something on his phone when you left. You quickly get the drinks as well, and head back up to the front. "Here you go guys."

"Thanks!" Ross smiles brightly at you.

"Of course! Come back soon!" You say as they leave.

Over the course of a couple weeks, Ross became a regular. He would always pop in for breakfast, and occasionally a mid-day snack. His friends sometimes came with him, but more often than not, he was alone. You got to know him better. You learned that he and his friends ran a YouTube channel named Game Grumps, and that he had his own animation channel. You learned his favorite pastry, the scone. Eventually, you started thinking about him more and more.

"Hey, Y/N?" He asked, leaning against the counter you were at.

"What's up, Ross?" You respond, wiping down that same counter and trying to get him off of it.

"Um, me and my friends are having a karaoke night soon, and I was wondering if you wanted to come."

"I don't know, I'm not the best at karaoke."

"That's fine! You should see the way Arin sings..." He trails off, lost in memories, before shaking his head and coming back to you. Ross smiles at you. You can't help but smile back.

"Fine, I'll go." You give in. His smiles grows and he hands you his phone to put in your number. 

Once you do, he hops off the counter. "I'll send you the address and the time, ok? Bye!" He pushes open the door and slips away.

"Bye, Ross." You whisper after him. What had you gotten yourself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, karaoke..... We'll see how that goes....


	3. Chapter 3

As you pull up the address Ross sent you, your nerves start showing. You press your shaking hands into your lap. What if his friends don't like me, you think. What if he realizes he doesn't like me. You press a hand to your lips.

A gentle tap at your window jerks you back to reality. Sure enough, it's Ross. He flashes you a grin and opens your car door. "You actually came." He says with wonder.

"Well yeah, I wasn't gonna ghost you..." You respond, trying to cover up your shaking hands.

"C'mon, you're gonna have fun." You let him pull you to the building and then to the room they rented out. He had already explained to you that this was a tradition, so they always came to the same place.

Inside the room, a man with a blonde streak sings at the top of his lungs to a song you don't recognize. A woman with a matching streak watches him, smiling. They must be a couple, you realize, that's cute.

Ross leads you over to the couch. "Guys, this is Y/N, Y/N, these are my friends." 

"Hi." You wave shyly.

"Hello infamous bakery girl. I'm Barry," a sweet looking guy tells you, "and this is Kevin," Kevin waves and smiles. 

"Nice to meet you guys!" You say happily. They seem nice enough, and if they're friends with Ross, they can't be that bad, right?

The door opens again and Danny steps in. A chorus of "hi" and "finally" erupts from the other guys, but you just smile and wave, as per usual. Dan makes his way over to you guys. "Glad to see you could make it, Y/N. Ross doesn't shut up about you."

You feel yourself blush. Thankfully the lighting in the room is fun, so no one can tell. Suddenly, you hear an exclamation of "ARIN NO-" and someone tackles you.

You instinctively flinch and draw your arms into a ball, but the person who bear-hugged you quickly lets go. It's the guy who was singing, with the blonde streak. "Sorry. It's a bit of a tradition. I'm Arin." He chuckles.

Ok, he seems nice. "Y/N. It's nice to meet you." You smile.

The woman you saw earlier rushes over to you. "I am so sorry about that. Sometimes Arin doesn't know how to chill. I'm Suzy, Arin's wife."

"Very nice to meet you, Suzy. And don't worry about Arin." Speaking of, he had already moved to chat with Danny, Ross, and the others.

You suddenly feel very awkward. You have no real place here. Of course, you would prefer to be at Ross's side the whole time, but of course he would want to hang out with his friends. That was the whole point of this. Maybe it would be better if you just left. You were just getting in the way and-

"Andy? You okay?" His voice brings you back. Ross looks at you, worried.

"Yeah, sorry. Got lost in my head for a second. I'm fine." You try to keep your voice as steady as possible.

"Okay, well, since you're the newcomer, it's your turn to perform." He says, that shit-eating grin already creeping onto his face. You sigh and make your way to the stage, realizing that there's no point in arguing with Ross.

Once you reach the machine, you look through the songs, finally finding one you like. "Seventeen" by MARINA. This song speaks to you, so why not?

You climb up onto the stage, mic in hand, as the music starts. The nerves come back as you see everyone watching you, but you close your eyes and start to sing, swaying your hips to the music.

As you sing, you get more and more into the song, finding yourself spinning and dancing.

You finally open your eyes just as it gets to the chorus. Ross is watching you, a huge smile on his face. You try to sing to him.

"Could never tell you what happened the day I turned seventeen, the rise of a king, and the fall of a queen, no, seventeen, seventeen~"

You play into the character during the next verse, pouring your emotion into your voice. 

The next chorus finds you spinning on stage, losing yourself to the music. Throughout it all, you feel Ross's eyes on you. You try to ignore the feeling that it stirs in you. As the song ends, you drop to your knees, dizzy and giggly from all your spinning.

Ross gets up to help you off the mini stage, and Danny steps up to sing some 80s song. As Ross takes your hand, he whispers, "That was incredible." Before you can turn to him, Suzy snatches you to fangirl over your performance.

Several songs, and several drinks, later, you find yourself very sleepy. You hadn't been drunk, or anything close, in a long time, and you forgot you were a sleepy drunk. Before you could pass out, though, the couch dips next to you. Ross.

You turn to face him and listen to him hum along to the song that's playing. You smile, noting his smile, and his eyes. Had his eyes always been that shade of blue? He notices you staring at him and turns to you. "What's up, having fun?"

"Yeah. Your friends are great." You murmur, resting your head on his shoulder. He makes a surprised noise but quickly takes it in stride. "Are you drunk?" He arches an eyebrow at you.

"No no no no no, just a teeeny bit tipsy." You giggle softly. "It's not my fault Suzy ordered me such a big drink."

"You only had, like, 2 beers." He points out.

"Mhm, but this is what happens when you haven't had alcohol in a long time." You say, as your eyes flutter closed. Ross's shoulder makes a very good pillow, you decide.

"Alright, let's get you home." You hear him mutter. The next moments pass in a blur, but you make out listing off an address, him driving with your hand in his, and finally, him walking you up to your apartment. "G'night Ross." You murmur, half-awake.

"Goodnight, Y/N. Text me in the morning?"

"Sure."

"Alright. Bye."

He presses a kiss to your forehead and leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaaaaaa they're so cuuuuuuute


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, you open your eyes to your radio playing softly to wake you up, a ray of sun coming through your window, and 2 missed texts. You sit up and open the first one, from Joseph

\- Hey Y/N, your Ross dude stopped by to tell me you were sick. Want me to let Nina know?

He was offering to tell your boss for you. And judging by your massive headache, you need him to.

\- Yeah, that'd be awesome. Also he's not MY Ross. He's just Ross. Thx

Next, you open the text from Ross. 

\- Good morning. I hope you don't feel too awful, but I let your co-worker know that you're hungover anyway. Feel free to stop by the Grump space later.

You smile, and the events of last night come back to you. He kissed you. Sure, it was just a forehead kiss, but STILL. You feel the heat rise to your cheeks. God, he was cute.

Pulling on a cardigan over your tank top, you head to your mini kitchen to make breakfast. Toaster waffles sound amazing right now. While they get nice and crispy, you type out a response to Ross.

\- Thanks. I forgot how awful hangovers are, but I'll be ok. I may take up the offer to hang out with you guys, though.

And, sent. You set your phone down and turn back to your waffles. As you eat, you think over the offer he gave you. It would be really nice to hang out with him, but you don't want to bother anyone.

However, he did invite you, so that probably meant he wasn't busy, right? Eventually, you settle on bringing some pastries, so you don't show up empty handed. You get to work making blueberry scones, your favorite to make. While you work on the scones, you listen to when the song "Seventeen" comes on, you fall back into the memories of last night. Being on stage felt amazing, and you had really liked singing. Plus, Ross's friends were so kind and welcoming.

Soon enough, the scones were ready, and you put them into a container to keep them warm. You looked up at the clock. 2:30. Ok, not a bad time to head over. You text Ross:

\- I'll be there in 15 min. I bring scones.

With that, you get into your car and head to the Grump's office.


	5. Chapter 5

The moment you knock on the door, it opens. Suzy stands there. She looks surprised to see you. "Oh, hi Y/N! Good to see you again."

You smile. "Good to see you too. Sorry for just showing up, Ross invited me over. I brought scones, though."

Suzy chuckles. "Oh, the boys are never gonna let you go if you keep bringing pastries." She steps aside and lets you into the building. As you walk past hallways full of video games and collectible items, you can't help but gape. Suzy notices and laughs. "Sorry, I mean, Ross told me you guys play video games for a living, but I didn't think you would have this many." You quickly say. She nods. "Yeah, people are constantly sending us more games. I don't think we'll be able to play them all." 

She leads you to the editing bay, where Ross looks up from his computer. He smiles at you and you find yourself smiling back before you can help yourself. "I brought scones..." You say awkwardly.

Ross quickly leads you to the kitchen, where you set down the scones. He quickly grabs one, making you laugh. He practically moans as he bites down, making you double over laughing. He grins. “Sorry, they’re just really good.”

“Wow, who knew that working at a bakery for 3 years makes you good at baking?” The sarcasm is heavy in your voice, but Ross doesn’t seem to mind. 

“3 years?” He asks. “Yeah, I started there when I first moved out here, but Joseph and Nina are like my family now, so they won’t let me leave. But it pays well, so I don’t mind.” You shrug.

“Where’d you move from?” Ross asks, arching a brow.

“Seattle.” You say simply, not wanting to get into the details. You fidget with your sleeves, uncomfortable with where the conversation was going.

“Cool.” he replies, and drops the subject, noticing your fidgeting. 

The rest of the day was spent watching Dan laugh and Arin rage through the window, playing pinball with Ross, (and beating his high score), and getting to see the behind the scenes of everything. Everyone was incredibly nice to you, and you felt right at home.

Finally, Ross decided to let you test his new Mario Maker level. You sit on the couch, nervous, but telling yourself that it can't be that bad, right? Oh boy, were you wrong.

"....."

"You alright? You're a little quiet." Ross barely manages to contain his giggles.

"Oh, no, I'm wonderful. Other than the fact that this level is giving me a FUCKING ANEURYSM, ROSS." You groan as Mario falls to his untimely death, for the 50th time in a row.

Ross laughs uncontrollably beside you, and after a bit you can't help but laugh with him. You decide to give it one more try.

"Come on….come on….. NO! THIS IS BULLSHIT!" You scream into the pillow next to you as Mario dies, again.

Dan pokes his head around the corner and takes in the sight before him. "Are you breaking her already, Ross?"

Ross's only answer is maniacal laughter as you shoot him a death glare. He giggles even more at your face. "Ooooowww, my stomach hurts…" He clutches his stomach and rolls on the couch. You sigh and hang your head in your hands. Danny chuckles and gives you a sympathetic pat on the back. 

You get up and check the time. "I should be heading home anyway. But if I need therapy, you're paying for it, Ross." And that gets him laughing again.

After settling down a bit, Ross takes the liberty of walking you to your car. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow?" He asks.

"Unless you suddenly found a new favorite bakery, then yes." You respond.

"I would never abandon Rosebomb." He gasps, and places a hand to his chest, playing up the dramatics. You laugh at his antics and he grins. "Bye, Y/N."

"Bye, Ross."

You get in your car, and start backing out of the parking lot. Ross turns to go back to the office but turns one last time at the door. You wave at him, and he smiles and waves back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tbh, not as happy with this chapter, but I wanted to get something out there. Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions for scenes.
> 
> -Midnight


	6. Chapter 6

The next couple days passed by fairly quick, and you were starting to develop a routine. Ross would come in everyday to get his scone and black coffee, hang out for a bit, then leave. Joseph and Nina started to tease you about him.

"Come on, he obviously likes you. Why else would he come in every single day?!" Nina exclaimed, nudging your shoulder playfully.

"He just likes the scones, okay?! And the bakery is on his way to the office, so it's convenient for him." You sigh, pushing her away. 

"OH MY GOD, Y/N, YOU LIKE HIM BACK!!!" She squealed, seeing the light blush on your cheeks. 

"What?! No!" You back up quickly. You can't like him, he doesn't like you, after all, and you didn't want to mess up the friendship. You hear the bell ring, signaling a customer. Oh thank God, you think, rushing to the register. 

A little while later, after Nina and Joseph leave, you get a text from Ross. 

\- Can we talk? Like, in person?

You quickly shoot a text back.

\- Sure thing! I'm closing shop tonight, so stop by whenever.

\- Alright, see you later, then.

What's does he want to talk about, you wonder. Oh God, maybe he's decided that he doesn't want to hang out with you anymore. No, you tell yourself. If so, he would tell me directly, not build it up like this. Okay, so need to worry right? 

The bell rings behind you. You suck in a deep breath to calm your nerves, and turn around. "Hey."

"Hi." Ross stands awkwardly. His eyes dart around the room for a couple seconds before landing back on you.

Suddenly, a rush of confidence comes over you. If you were gonna act on your feelings and ask him out, it had to be now.

"So, um, I was wondering-"  
"I wanted to ask-"

You both stopped. "Um, you go first." You say, fidgeting with your hands, and looking down, trying to hide your blush.

"Um, ok... Well, I was wondering, um...Well, I really like you, and I was wondering if you...if you wanted to go out on a date with me." You stare at him, shocked.

"Wait-what, really?" You stutter. "I was going to ask you!"

"So, I guess that's a yes?" He laughs nervously.

"Yes!" You laughed, pulling him into a hug. He quickly puts his arms around you. You pressed your hands into his back, hoping he didn't feel how much you were shaking. 

Ross pulled away first, smiling widely. You couldn't help but laugh at his face. Your giggles quickly dissolved into tears as your anxiety caught up with you. "Hey, woah, what's wrong?" Ross says worriedly, his hand coming up to press against your cheek. "I'm fine, I just...I was so scared that if I asked you, you were going to say no." You barely manage to whisper. Your throat felt too tight. 

Ross brought his other hand up, so he was cradling your face. "Hey, it's okay. Even if I didn't like you, we would still be friends. Besides, I do like you back, so no use worrying about things that don't matter, okay?" He says gently. A sudden car alarm outside reminds you both that you're still in the bakery.

"Come on. Let me be a gentleman and walk you to your car." Ross says, wiping away some of your tears. You nod, and he takes you by the hand, leading you outside. Once you reach your car, you turn to face him. "So, text me tonight?" You ask.

"Sure." He responds, a light smile on his face.

You look down at your hand in his, and decide to make a bold move. You lean up and press a kiss to his cheek. You lean back and open your car door. Looking back at him, you hide your giggles at his flushed face. "Goodnight, Ross."

"G-goodnight, Y/N." He stutters. You get in your car, close the door, and pull out of the parking lot, watching as he waves you goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, instead of just uploading randomly, I'm going to try to follow a schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. I hope you guys are okay with this.
> 
> \- Midnight


	7. Chapter 7

The day of the date was set, but Ross refused to tell you anything about what he has planned. Just that he'll pick you up on Saturday. The rest of the week consisted of him flirting with you over the counter in the mornings, and giving you winks that made your whole face flush red. Joseph and Nina teased you endlessly.

Finally, Saturday came. You sit in your apartment, trying to decide what to wear. The two options are a light yellow sundress, with a flower print at the bottom, or a button up shirt and a lilac skirt. Finally, you choose the skirt and button up. You get dressed, and sit to do your makeup, singing along to the music playing from your phone. You couldn't stop smiling, and butterflies fluttered in your stomach.

Once you finish your makeup, you brush your hair, and twirl your way to the kitchen. You get a cup of water and sit on the counter to wait. After a little while, a knock on the door alerts you. You grab your phone, walk over and open it. Ross stands there, in a button down and jeans, his hands in his pockets, a smile reaching his blue eyes.

"Hi."

"Hi." You respond, the smile you were already wearing growing.

"Ready to go?" He offers his hand.

"I mean, I hope so. You still refuse to tell me where we're going, so I can't exactly prepare." You say, taking his hand, and following him down the hallway. 

Ross turns to look at you. "You look beautiful." He whispers.

"Thanks," you murmur, face flushing. "You look very handsome. Though it is strange to see you in anything other than a t-shirt and ripped jeans."

"What can I say, I clean up nice." Ross shrugs comically, which gets a laugh from you.

He grins even wider, and opens the passenger side door to his car for you. "Why, thank you, good sir." You press a hand to your chest and play it up.

"Of course, fair lady." He bows in response, before making his way to the driver's side. "Close your eyes."

"We haven't even left my apartment complex, Ross." You reply.

"Yeah, but if you see what way we're driving, you might guess where we're going." He huffs.

"Fine, fine." You close your eyes, and just for good measure, put your hands over your eyes.

The rest of the ride is a comfortable silence, the only noise the faint sounds of music, cars, and laughter from outside the car. Eventually, Ross pulls to a stop. "Keep your eyes closed, I'll tell you when to open them."

"Okay, but I have to let you know, if you're taking me to some shady back alley, this date is cancelled." You place your hand in his and allow him to lead you, up a hill, it feels like.

"No shady back alleys, I promise." His voice is quiet. "Okay, open your eyes."

You slowly open them, and take in the view of Los Angeles. Ross took you to a view spot, then. You're rendered speechless by the sight of the city combined with the sun just starting to set.

"Good surprise?" Ross asks, genuine worry in his voice. In response, you squeeze his hand. 

"It's so beautiful." You whisper, still stunned. 

"Well, glad you like it, because we're having a picnic here." Ross holds up a bag of sandwiches and water.

You both lean on the hood of the car, and Ross hands you a sandwich. "So, why'd you choose a view spot?" You ask.

"I figured that since you moved here not too long ago, and you're so invested in your work, you'd never been up here." He responds, looking down at you. You never realized how much taller he is than you until now.

"Well, you assumed correctly. I love it. Thank you, Ross." You smile at him.

He smiles back at you, and you notice his eyes. We're they always that shade of blue? He laughs, and your face flushed bright crimson as you realize you said that out loud. "Oh God, I'm so sorry." You hide your face in your hands. He laughs again, and puts a hand on your back. "Hey, it's okay. That's happened to me more times than I can count."

You shake your head and look out at the city, your face still flushed. Ross moves his hand from your back to your hand. You gently squeeze his hand. You both spend a moment in silence, just listening to the birds sing. "...beautiful." You whisper, still watching the sunset. "Yeah." You turn to look at Ross to see he's still looking at you. You blush again.

"Can...Can I kiss you, Y/N?" He keeps his voice quiet. 

You don't respond, but instead press your lips to his. He makes a shocked noise, but quickly kisses you back. You pull away from him after a second, and he wraps you in a hug. You lean your head against his chest, and enjoy the moment, safe in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, yeah! They finally kissed! Sorry for the late update, got a bit busy. But I hope you guys are liking the story so far. Prepare for so much fluff ahead mwahahahaha
> 
> \- Midnight


	8. Chapter 8

After a while up at the viewpoint, enjoying each other's company, Ross drives you home. The ride is silent, your hand in his. The radio plays softly, providing a bit of background. You hum along to the song, and Ross looks over at you and smiles. When you arrive at your apartment, you turn to him. You don’t want this to be over just yet. “Do you wanna come in, and watch a movie?”

“Sure.” He grins, and you lead him into your apartment.

“Sorry for the mess.” You say, your parent’s habits suddenly kicking in.

“Don’t worry about it. My place is much worse, and besides, have you seen the people I work with?” He laughs.

“That’s fair.” You let out a small giggle, and you both plop down onto your couch. “So, what do you want to watch?”

“Have you seen the Transformers movies?”

\---

After a marathon of Transformers, you find yourself curled up against Ross’s chest, his arm around you. The credits roll on the last movie, and you sigh. “Wow.”

“I know, right?” The glee in Ross’s voice is unmistakable. 

“I never thought I could care so much about giant robots that turn into cars.” You say, still watching the screen. You feel more than hear Ross’s laughter, but it quickly turns into a yawn. You check the time on your phone.

“Crap. It’s almost 2AM.” You rub a hand over your face and snuggle closer to Ross.

“Y/N, I have to go.” 

“No. You’re too warm.” You bury your face in his chest. He laughs again and kissed the top of your head. You sigh happily. Ross yawns again. 

“I actually have to go.” He says, serious this time.

“It might be dangerous if you’re actually that tired. Driving sleep deprived is just as dangerous as driving drunk.” You sit up to look at him, your eyes starting to water. You can’t...you can’t lose him.

“Hey, hey, if it means that much to you I won’t.” His brows scrunch together as he wipes a stray tear from your face. “I’ll stay.”

You bury your face back in his chest. “Thank you.” Your voice is barely a whisper. Your eyes close, and you drift off to sleep. The last thing you feel is Ross picking you up and carrying you to the bedroom, tucking you in, and whispering, “Good night, Y/N. I’ll stay with you.”


	9. Chapter 9

Cold. That's the first thing you feel. The chilly wind bites your skin through the thin cardigan you wear. You watch the highway you stand next to. You can't remember how you got there, but it doesn't matter.

You're surrounded in darkness, only lit up by the headlights of the cars that pass you. No one stops to talk to you, but why would they? They have places to be.

You see something you recognize. It's your old car, from back in Seattle. Michael must have taken it out for a spin again. He did always like your car. You watch it come down the highway. Suddenly, everything slows down.

You can't move as the other car slams into your old one. You can't move as it goes spinning towards you.

It stops.

You rush to the driver's side and look at the person in the seat. You see brown hair and blood trickling down the person's forehead. You realize what this is. Michael's gone, again. You brush the hair out of his face and look at his eyes.

Instead of the brown you once loved, they're....

Blue. Ocean blue.

\---

You wake up with a start, tears pouring down your face. You sit up and wipe your face, but the tears keep coming. You can't hold back the sobs that rack your body. 

Why? You thought it would be over when you left Seattle. So why did it come back? You're scared. You grip your arms tight and sob again, not bothering to hold back the whimper that escapes.

A knock jerks you from your reverie. Ross's voice is muffled by the door. "Y/N, can I come in?" When you don't respond, he cracks open the door.

He sees your face and rushes over, burying you in a hug. "Are you okay?" His voice is barely a whisper. You clutch onto his back. You can't keep the images of your dream out of your head, and your sobbing resumes.

Ross holds on to you, rubbing your back, until your tears are gone. Only then does he ask, "What happened?"

With a shaky voice, you explain your dream to him in detail. He never stops you, only listens quietly. When you finish he asks the question you've been dreading. "So... Michael?"

You sigh, and start to explain. "When I was in high school, my best friend was a boy named Michael. He was my companion through everything. The, the day I turned seventeen, he asked me on a date. I said yes.

We were the perfect couple. He understood me, and I understood him. Even our parents agreed that we were perfect for each other. Everyone thought we would stay together, and get married.

Then, the day of my eighteenth birthday, he decided to go out at night to get my present. I tried to tell him no, that he could just get it the next day, but he didn't listen," your voice breaks a little, and Ross holds your hand. "I wasn't too worried, he was a great driver, but I was cautious. I kept my phone on, and once a couple hours had passed with him not coming back, I called him. He didn't answer. I called him a total of, I think, 15 times? He never answered." A tear rolls your face and you shake your head. Ross squeezes your hand and waits for you to continue.

"Then, around midnight, I got a call from the police. They told me that Michael had been hit by another car, that the impact had killed him instantly, but left the other guy with a broken leg. I was heartbroken.

I spent a couple years in limbo, not ready to move on. I was severely depressed, and I thought his death was my fault. That because he died on my birthday, I was to blame. I gave myself these." Your voice is a whisper at this point, but you roll up your shirt and show Ross the scars around your stomach and ribs. He lightly touches them, as if he can't believe they're there. You drop your shirt as he pulls his hand away.

"Eventually, it went from bad to worse," you continue. "I thought I couldn't live without Michael, so I tried to...I tried to end it all, by drowning myself. I almost succeeded, but my mother realized the water was running under the door, and stopped me. After getting out of the mental hospital, I decided I couldn't live in Seattle anymore, and moved out here. That was three years ago." You finish with a sigh. You look at Ross. His eyes are wide, and his lips are pressed together.

"Y/N, I'm so sorry." He says, pulling you back into a hug. You hold onto him tightly.

"That's why you were so insistent last night..." He murmurs, his voice full of sorrow. He pulls back, but presses his forehead to yours. "I won't leave you. I promise."

You almost start crying again, but you kiss him. He holds your face in his hands, and pressed chaste kisses to your lips. "I won't leave you." He whispers, and kisses you again. You're still scared, but you feel warmth in your chest from his words. 

You pull Ross under the covers and nuzzle into his chest. He holds you tight and kisses the top of your head. "We have work." He reminds you, but his voice is full of disappointment. 

"Actually, I get Sundays off." You murmur into his chest.

"Alright, I'll just tell Arin I'm sick, I guess." He sighs dramatically, and you laugh. 

"Thank you." You whisper. "It means a lot to me." You tilt your head up to look at him.

"Of course." He smiles and kisses you.

You drift back to sleep, safe in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, not sorry.
> 
> \- Midnight


	10. Chapter 10

You and Ross spend the rest of the day just enjoying each other's company. You guys watched a movie, and ended up cuddling on the couch, and talking.

"So, what did you want to be when you were a kid?" Ross threads his fingers through your hair.

"Honestly? I wanted to be a ballerina." You giggle, the memories coming back to you. "I did ballet for a couple years, before realizing how taxing it is."

You feel the vibrations from Ross's laughter. You look up at him and smile. He smiles back at you, and you get lost in his eyes for a second.

"What are you thinking about?" His voice is quiet, and his fingers trace your cheek.

"Just that I'm lucky you stumbled into Rosebomb." You whisper, leaning into his touch.

He presses a kiss to your forehead and you close your eyes. You both stay there for a while, his arms around you, and your head against his chest. 

You feel a buzz against your leg and sigh. Ross let's go of you for a second so you can grab your phone. It's a text from Nina. 

\- Are you hanging out with your scone boy?

You shake your head and type out a response as Ross peers over your shoulder at the screen. "Scone boy?" He laughs.

"Sorry. Nina likes to give people stupid nicknames." Your face flushed a little.

"It's ok." He rubs your back, and you lean your head against his.

Your stomach rumbles and you laugh. "Wanna go grab lunch?"

"Sure. I know this really good Thai place down the road." Ross stands up and offers his hand to help you. 

\---

Soon, Friday comes, and Ross invites you to another karaoke night. Once again, the only things he'll tell you is that he'll pick you up, and that this is a special edition of karaoke.

You're kind of nervous, but you try to tell yourself that there's nothing to worry about. Ross's friends are nice, and they fully accepted you the last time. Why would it change now?

A text makes your phone buzz.

\- Hey, I'm outside. You ready?

You quickly respond to Ross. 

\- Yeah, I'll be down in a sec.

You take a deep breath, grab your purse, and head outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for not updated on Wednesday, guys. I got really busy and completely forgot. To make up for it, have a double update.
> 
> \- Midnight


	11. Chapter 11

The first thing that hits you as you walk into the room is the sound of Arin singing. Well, singing is being generous. He's basically screamo-ing his way through "Rolling In The Deep". You laugh, and that draws Suzy's attention towards you.

She quickly rushes over, and wraps you in a hug. "It's so good to see you again, Y/N!"

"It's good to see you too, Suzy." You hug her back, and she grins at you as you separate.

"Has Ross warned you about tonight?" Suzy watches the man in question walk over to Danny and Barry.

"Not quite. He told me it's a special edition of karaoke?" You shrug and Suzy laughs.

"We'll explain later." She takes your hand and leads you over to the couch. You sit next to her and Kevin, who gives you a small wave as you sit down. You wave back and smile.

As Arin finishes his song, the room erupts in applause and shouts of numbers, most between 6 and 9.

"What's with the number?" You turn to Suzy.

"Oh, so tonight, the person to your left gets to choose your song, and the rest of the room gives you a score out of ten." She grins at you, and you realize she's on your left.

"Oh Suzy, please don't do me dirty." You whisper under your breath.

After watching Danny make his way through "Kiss From A Rose", it's your turn. You watch Suzy take the tablet they use to choose, and scroll for a while. Every so often, her eyes dart to you, and then to where Ross and Barry are sitting. "Okay, I got one." She drags you onto the stage.

You take the microphone, sighing. You watch the screen as the lyrics for "Ocean Eyes" load up. Are you kidding me, Suzy?!

You take a breath and start to sing. You keep your eyes closed, swaying to the music. You hear whispers, but ignore them.

No fair,  
You really know how to make me cry,  
When you give me those ocean eyes,

You open your eyes, to find Ross watching you, a smile plastered onto his face. You smile at him and keep singing.

I'm scared,  
I've never fallen from quite this high,  
Fallen into your ocean eyes,  
Those ocean eyes~

The chorus makes you realize something.

You're in love with Ross.

You try to play off the emotions running through you by moving around the stage, spinning and swaying to the music. Every time your eyes land on Ross, he's watching you intently, and at one point you swear he blows you a kiss.

As the music draws to a close, you make your way back to the center of the stage, and close your eyes again. 

The applause that erupts shocks you. You see Ross stand up and start yelling, "TEN! THAT IS A TEN RIGHT THERE!" Unfortunately, his words are kind of drowned out by the rest of the shouting. You carefully make your way off the stage, and towards the others. Ross gets to you first, wrapping you in a hug and spinning you around. "That was incredible, Y/N." 

"Thanks." You grin at him, and his smile grows.

"Ahem, ahem." You both turn to see Arin standing on top of a table, Suzy facepalming behind him. "The council has spoken. Y/N, your score is…..a TEN!" Applause breaks out again.

Ross turn back to you. "That's the first time Arin's awarded a ten. You're just that good."

Your face flushed again, and you giggle a bit. "I'm really not that good…"

He shakes his head. "Bullshit."

You let out a breath as he leads you back to the couches. He wraps an arm around your shoulders, and you nuzzle into his side. You're thankful that even though Suzy sends you a knowing glance, no one says anything. As for you saying something, you find a time to tell him. You don't want to ruin the moment


	12. Chapter 12

A couple of days have passed and you still haven't said anything. You just never find the right time. According to the universe, the right time came a couple of weeks later.

"Y/N?" His voice breaks through your humming. You thought you were alone in Ross's small kitchen, but apparently not. You turn to face him, and set down the bowl in your hands after seeing his face. His brows are scrunched, and his eyes are full of emotions you can't even name.

"What's up?" You take his hand and trace the back of his knuckles. His eyes flit down to your joined hands for a second before coming back up to yours.

"Would you...would you want to move in with me?" His voice is quiet, and you almost don't hear him. When you don't say anything, he quickly backtracks. "I mean, it's okay if you don't, we've only been dating for a little while, and I-"

You cut him off with a kiss. Ross's hands come up to frame your face, and you smile against his lips. You pull away and rest your forehead against his. "I would love to move in with you, Ross."

His sigh of relief is warm against your face, and you take the opportunity to give him another kiss. His hands come down from your face and wrap you into a hug the moment you pull away. "I love you..." Ross whispers into your hair.

You are quick to respond. "And I love you..." You can't wipe the smile off your face. 

\---

A couple days later, you stand in the middle of your apartment trying to decide what to take with you. You've already packed your clothes and makeup, you just need to decide the rest.

"I would bring the shitty painting you made, and then tried to hide in the corner." Ross's arms wrap around your waist, and his head comes to rest on your shoulder. 

"Fuck off." You laugh, pressing a kiss to his cheek before extracting yourself from his grip.

He smiles and rests his hands on hips when you turn to face him. "I called reinforcements." 

"Oh? And what reinforcements would this be, good sir?" You play up the act, and press a hand to your mouth in mock surprise.

Ross takes in in stride and stands a little taller, his voice deepening. "Why the fair lady Suzy, and the marvelous warrior Nina, of course."

You hold up your hands. "Wait, wait, how did you get Nina's number?"

"Uh, she texted me, actually." He shrugs.

"I stole it from your phone, Y/N, and decided to freak out scone boy a bit." Nina stands in the doorway, her brown hair in a braid, looking ready to go to war.

You rush over and tackle her in what looks like a hug, but is really a chokehold. "Try that shit again, and I'll put asbestos in the cinnamon rolls." You pull back and smile at her sweetly. "Good to see you!"

Ross stands there, looking confused. You pat his arm, and lead Nina to the living room. "Okay, let's Marie Kondo this bitch." She announces eloquently.

Suzy arrives soon after, and the four of you guys manage to sort through your stuff and choose what to take, what to throw away, and what to donate.

"Umm, Y/N?" Suzy's voice comes from behind you, and she sounds a little scared. 

"Yeah?" You finish packing the last of your books.

"Why do you have these?" You turn to see Suzy holding a pair of fluffy, bright pink, handcuffs. You drop your head in your hands as Nina cackles in glee, and Ross flushes red.

"Nina gave them to me for Valentine's day last year." You say simply, taking them from Suzy and chucking them at Nina's head.

"Hey, it was funny!" The woman exclaims in protest, still laughing.

"Was." You say simply, laying a hand on Ross's shoulder to try and help him calm down. He covers your hand in his, and smiles up at you.

Nina laughs again, and topples off the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nina and the reader's friendship is based off a friendship I have, were we pretend to hate each other and we mess with each other, but at the end of the day, we'll have each other's back through the end of the world.
> 
> \- Midnight


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're near the end of the story. Don't worry, I've still got some stuff planned.
> 
> \- Midnight
> 
> P.S. thank you for all the kudos and comments!! even if I don't respond to your comment, I read all of them and they really help me keep going. ♥️

You wake up to kiss to your cheek. "Time to get up, babe." Ross's voice is slightly raspy from sleep. You rub at your eyes, and look up at him. His hair is messy, but the ocean eyes you love are alert.

"Don't wanna get up." You mumble, and nuzzle into his chest again.

"I know, but you have to. If you're late to work, Nina will kick my ass." You feel him shudder, and you giggle. You sigh and look up at him again. You just stare at him, taking in the moment, and after a second he quirks an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing." You smile, and press your lips to his.

He kisses you back, and you wrap your arms around his neck. His arms come down around your waist and you shudder a bit.

"Your hands are cold," You sigh, pulling away. Ross laughs, and presses his hand against your neck, causing you to screech and push away from him. "You are an evil, evil man, Ross." You glare at him from the other side of the bed and he just laughs.

"I'm sorry, love, but I had to." He laughs again.

You grumble again and come back to lay next to him.

"Ok, now we really have to get up." He reminds you. 

"Ugh, fine." You swing your legs over the side of the bed and stretch, your t-shirt coming up, and showing the side of your stomach. You quickly pull it back down to hide your scars. You hear a soft sigh, and Ross's arms wrap around your waist again. 

"You don't have to hide your scars. You're beautiful." He kisses your cheek and you blush. 

"I'm really not..." You say under your breath.

Ross moves so he's next to you, and he holds your hands in his own. "You are the most beautiful woman I have seen, and if anyone disagrees, I will punch them." His voice is quiet, and you can tell he means every word he says. 

"Your hands are still cold." You whisper. He shakes his head and nudges you off the bed. You fall to the floor, laughing.


	14. Chapter 14

The rest of the day goes by without too much of a hassle. Nina keeps asking if you're okay, which is strange, but nothing else seems off. Maybe she's just worried that Ross is evil? Nina is an overprotective friend, after all.

The bell rings behind you, signaling a customer. "Hey, love." You hear Ross's voice before you see him.

"Hey, Ross. What's up?" You lean across the counter and peck his cheek. 

"Nothing, just thought I'd stop by and ask if you want to go out to dinner tonight." He takes your hand in his and rubs his thumb across your knuckles.

"Oh? What's the occasion?" You tilt your head and Ross looks at you with disbelief in his eyes.

"Are you serious?" It's not your anniversary yet, and Ross's birthday was a couple of weeks ago so....oh. Well, shit.

"....my birthday...." You whisper. Ross nods.

"I understand if you don't want to do anything, but I thought a nice dinner couldn't hurt." He takes your other hand and kisses it. You nod absentmindedly. Dinner couldn't hurt, right?

"Okay, but only as long as we can walk to wherever we're going." 

"Deal."

Ross's grin completely made up for the sinking feeling in your stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for being gone so long. TBH, I lost motivation for this story. I am going to finish it, but there probably will be no one-shots or spinoffs from this. Sorry.
> 
> Love, Midnight.


	15. Chapter 15

The restaurant Ross chose is a small sushii place, quaint and cozy. There's a window into the kitchen, so you can see the chefs make your food. He leads you to a small table in the corner, with a view out to the street. He sits across from you and takes your hand. 

"So...What do you think of the restaurant?" Ross asks quietly.

You look around. The place is dimly lit, and has a very clean, modern feel to it. "I like it. It's cute," You decide, "How did yiu even find this place?" 

"Arin and Suzy come here all the time, and have been pestering me to try and get me to come. Decided it would be a good place for a little celebration." He smiles at you, his eyes sparkling in the light.

"It's perfect, Ross." You squeeze his hand.

After ordering, you and Ross play a game, picking people off the street and trying to guess what their voice would sound like. A particularly nasal impression from Ross sends you into a laughing fit, and he grins at you, obviously proud of himself.

The waitress comes back with your food, and you and Ross talk about your days as you eat. After the meal, he pays and takes your hand. He leads you outside and starts walking.

"Where are we going?" You squeeze his hand.

"You'll see." His shit-eating grin is back.

You sigh and let him lead you. After a while, he stops and turns to you.

"Do you trust me?" He asks.

"If you're gonna take me on a magic carpet ride, I'm afraid I'll have to decline." You raise an eyebrow at him.

He laughs and shakes his head. "No, seriously."

"Yes, I trust you." 

"Then close your eyes."

You tilt your head and shut your eyes. Ross starts walking again, and you hear a door open and close, and the air conditioning hits you.

He lets go of your hand, and comes up behind you.

"Okay, open your eyes."

You open your eyes to find yourself in the Grump space, with streamers draped across the ceiling, and a cake in the middle of the kitchen table. Ross kisses your cheek.

"Happy birthday."

You turn around and hug him tight. He hugs you back just as tight. 

And in his arms, you feel at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the end of this. Thank you all for reading, it really means a lot to me! Sorry if it didn't end the way you wanted, but I knew I had to get something out to you guys. 
> 
> Lots of love,  
> Midnight.


End file.
